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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Dylan magic in need of discipline Under Milk Wood Stage 2
Crescent Theatre, **** THIS is the most difficult judgment I have had to express about this wonderfully talented group of young people in more than a quarter of a century of being enchanted by performance after performance, production after production. It is not just that there was too much action in the aisles, repeatedly distracting from what was happening on the stage and frequently appearing to be undisciplined. No, the problem for me – and I realise that I may well have been the only member of the audience to whom it applied – was that one school-age member of the ten-strong group of Voices providing the narration for this Dylan Thomas classic was so self-aware on the first night that she became a pain in the proverbial, both in the stage-right aisle and when her group moved to the area immediately in front of the stage. She fidgeted, she flung her arms about, she grabbed a fisherman's line – though this may have been on director's orders – and she gazed fixedly into the audience before moving off, chin high, at the final curtain. Earlier, when the group was on the side balcony, she was the one who was dodging about, leaning over and generally ensuring that she was noticed. WITHOUT HESITATION Unfortunately, there were times when at least two members of the audience sitting in row-end seats had no option but to notice her, because her position in the aisle gave her the chance at different moments to thrust her face into theirs – and she took it without hesitation. If she reads this, she won't like it. I hope, however, that she will eventually realise it is for her own good. She has to become a team player, and if she cannot do it already, she has to learn to accept adverse criticism because it is for her own good. It is something she owes to her friends – and to herself. This apart, she clearly has the makings of becoming an excellent actress. Meanwhile, this is a four-star production in which Welsh accents come triumphantly to the fore to top-dress nearly 30 splendidly-defined characters as we share a day in the life of Llaregyb. One of many magical moments comes with the line in which one of the many “dead” characters confesses that he came to a bad end – “very enjoyable.” It is a
shame that no one is credited with designing the street-scene set, with
all those windows at various levels at which one or other of the
townspeople appears, often to humorous effect. And it was odd, in the
immediate wake of To 24.4.10. John Slim www.stage2.org Box office: 0121 643 5858 www.crescent-theatre.co.uk
The above review drew some comments which are featured below:
Standing up for the cast
JUST read the review on Behind the Arras and
we
have no problems at all with negative reviews and criticism, but I do
feel this is weighted a bit heavily against one of our kids. Out of 26
lines, 20 are devoted to criticising one very young girl's performance.
I know we are on a level playing field
for reviews with amateur adult companies and even professionals and we
consistently put ourselves out there with our print, press releases and
profile. I always want our kids to understand the wider world and the
wider profession; they need to take the rough with the smooth and be
robust. I also understand completely it is totally out of order and
unprofessional to comment on a review, but I hope you can appreciate
where I am coming from in this unusual instance. However I have never before seen a review where it focused so much on one person, particularly one who wasn't the lead. My main issue though is that we had consciously directed her to do that: all the moves in the aisles were choreographed and set on purpose (dead characters in the sea, looking out at the Village).
Admittedly we did tell her to tone it
down a bit after she got carried away with the excitement of the first
night, but we still did not see it as a huge problem or even as an
anomaly when compared to the other Voices. Therefore it is much more our
fault than hers. She was
actually doing just what she had been told - ironically more than
many of the others were!
Obviously John Slim can only comment on
what he sees (and maybe he saw things we didn't) but the other difficult
thing for us is that she is
actually a huge team player - she learnt her lines first and has
been a really solid backbone to the whole play throughout the whole
process. I would be grateful if the piece could be removed or re-edited
to reflect the criticism being more directed at the professionals who
asked her to perform like that and didn't rein it in enough, as I feel
this is where any “fault” lies.
I do hope you understand the spirit that
this email is written in. We are eternally grateful for everything you
have done and do for us and we hope to have you review our shows for as
far as the eye can see! I just wanted to clarify that this is
our fault and our
responsibility.
From Liz Light,
Director, Stage 2; and Lucy Bailey, Director,
Under Milk Wood
JOHN SLIM
writes: As I said, this was the
most difficult judgment I have ever had to express in many years of
reviewing. What any reviewer writes is the personal view of just one
person, and I am afraid that once I have committed myself I cannot
decide to come up with a different opinion. A review is intended to be
am honest report on how a production appeared to the writer.
She is clearly talented: I simply had fears that if what I was seeing was what she really is, life might well not go as smoothly as it might otherwise do, either for herself or for her close associates, in whatever sphere.
Another view from the stalls I HAVE recently read John Slim's review of Stage2's production of Under Milk Wood, Liz Lights's response and his reply. I am concerned that he feels it is appropriate for an amateur child actor to be given far more negative feedback than any adult professional actor would receive. He has singled out one young member of the company for some really unnecessary criticism and have ignored the rest of the excellent production. I have written my own review of the play and would be grateful if it is posted it in the letters section. This is my review. It is probably unfair to
single out individual actors as this is very much a ensemble piece but
Layla Shirley charmed as Polly Garter and provided some wistful and
moving musical reflections on her lot in life. The school children were
spirited and playful, singing with gusto and clearly relishing their
cruel kissing game. Capt Cat's troubled past was reflected in some
moving set pieces and his past love affair tenderly portrayed by some
sensitive acting form Gareth Cadogan and Chloe Jones.
The Welsh accents, whilst
occasionally a little lost, were rendered very effectively on the whole
and the piece engaged and enthralled the audience throughout. The
inclusion of The Voices – the ghosts of those who have died at sea –
offered a perfect frame to the action on stage and the enthusiasm mixed
with sensitivity of these voices helped to capture the audience's
imagination and guide us skillfully through the story. Andrea Dowsett
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